The anticarcinogenic potential of green (GT) and black tea (BT) has been demonstrated in many animal and in vitro cell culture studies. Tea polyphenols, such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and theaflavins, inhibit cell growth through a variety of mechanisms such as antioxidant activity, alteration of redox-sensitive signal transduction pathways (nuclear factor-kappa B, activator protein 1, mitogen-activated protein kinase) and inhibition of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) leading to the inhibition of proliferation, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest as well as inhibition of angiogenesis. However most cell culture and animal studies have been performed with higher concentrations than achievable in humans. It is not clear whether effects observed in animal and cell culture studies can be applied to human studies. Therefore, the overall goal of this study is to perform a phase II clinical intervention trial to investigate whether the consumption of a green tea supplement (Polyphenon E) equivalent to 6 cups of GT or 6 cups of BT for 8 weeks prior to prostatectomy will decrease oxidative stress, alter signaling pathways leading to an inhibition of proliferation and increase of apoptosis in the prostate. We will use immunohistochemistry to determine the apoptotic index and protein expression of Ki67, Bax, Bcl-2, NFkB and concentration of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in sections of equal morphological changes of adenocarcinoma in the human prostate. Serum prostate specific antigen and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 will be determined using chemiluminescent analysis. Since in vivo polyphenols and theaflavins are subject to extensive endogenous and colonic metabolism we propose that metabolites contribute to the chemopreventive effect of GT and BT. We will use high performance liquid chromatography with coularray electrochemical detection as well as mass spectrorrietry (MS) and gas chromatography/ MS to determine the concentrations of polyphenols, theaflavins and six different endogenous and colonic metabo- lites in the prostate, serum and urine of the participants of our tea intervention trial. We will also use the serum collected before and after the tea intervention to be tested in our ex vivo bioassay in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Finally we will determine the effect of the six metabolites on apoptosis, Bax/Bcl-2 and NFkB- DNA binding after tumor necrosis factor alpha stimulation in LNCaP cells. The results will assist in designing dietary supplements for chemoprevention of early stages of prostate cancer or during watchful waiting.